In the recent months we see new ways to deliver web videos to your television. Apple TV, and Tivo’s new features are just two examples of this trend. With new Media Centers out there, we can assume that this trend will increase in both magnitude and importance.

How will it affect the world of independent content creators? I believe that this process is a double edge sword:

1 . We will see more exposure to independent content creators – as shows like Ask a Ninja and Something To Be Desired will be shown on living room TV sets, one of the major barriers of entry to these new media creators will be removed – people won’t need to watch video online, but in their regular TV. Though seems logical, I believe that this process will take some time to happen. Though Tivo users are not necessarily early adopters I still believe that it will take some time till my mother will use media center. Therefore, it is not clear how many new users will start watching web shows, as I assume that media savvy early adopters already watch them.

2.Production quality will rise – though current production quality of indie content creators is very good, when moving from small video screen in a web site to full blown TV format, things change. In the 3D animation company I had in the past, we had a clear distinction between productions for internet, mobile, television, and cinema as the effort to create high quality show is correlated with screen size in some aspects. Small details are more apparent.

3. And it will be harder to beat the competition – today most people do not expect the same level of product from internet video as they expect from television show. When users will be able to see a web show, and a minute later another episode of Studio 60 or Prison Break, their level of expectation will change, starting with script level, through actors, and general production value. This is THE major challenge for indie content creators in my opinion – as they begin to be an alternative to regular television.

4. Indie content creators will change the type of content they are creating – from short, 5-8 minutes flicks, to longer formats. The attention span in television is longer than in the internet, and people are willing to watch longer formats there. However, it might prove to be the killer of this industry. Longer formats are usually more expensive, and complicated to produce. As production cost and complexity rise, the competitive advantage of indie content creators, the ability to create quality content cheaply, is lost. Time will tell if there are enough talented creators to face the high profile, high cost productions out there. It might be that this will be the first wave of Creative Darwinism, when only the most talented content creators will survive.

Yesterday was the first day of VON, here in San Jose. I spent most of my time at the New Video Summit, discussing the new media world. Most panels were insightful and engaging. Panels were led by Om Malik and Rafat Ali, among others.

If we want to summarize the event in one clear statement here it is:

No one has a clue what will happen in this field.

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Content discovery is the number one problem for video creators and aggregators. Channels is one way to tackle it, and everybody are looking for technology to create them easily.

2. Advertisers are not embracing the new medium yet, though sponsorships are starting to flow, especially onblip.tv (or at least their impressive COO, Dina Kaplan, was the most vocal about it). Targeted ads is what everyone is looking for, but no one knows how to do it.

3. Most panelists stated that You Tube – Viacom dispute would not change the industry, but eventually create new rules of engagement between traditional and new media companies. The general consensus was that “the future is here” and these disputes would not destroy this young industry.

4. Not surprisingly, all site owners support net neutrality. At the same time most panelists agree that Quality of Service is important for industry growth. I wonder how these two views co-exist.

5. In Rafat Ali‘s panel, two interesting assumptions were made: one is that it will take 3 years to this industry to pick up and bring economic value to its players, and it will mature in 5 years. So, my dear readers , we have a lot of work to do….

6. In the same panel, most panelists stated that Google would find a way to monetize this new medium for local advertisers, and by doing so mature the market. When I sat behind Jeff Jarvis, it seemed like he agreed with them…

My media consumption habits are quite tech oriented. I download most of my favorite shows (Prison Break, The Wire) using Bittorent. I watch them as they air in the US, regardless of local schedule ( I live in Israel btw…). I use my mobile phone for mobile email, news, and where I can locate a hotspot – download videos. I use Democracy to see webisode and shows I find in Network2.tv.

And, most important point is that these channels are the ONLY ones I use in the last couple of years. I don’t have cables in my apartment, and don’t watch regular TV.

Well, at least until yesterday. Me and my better half decided on subscribing to the minimal channel package of the Israeli cable provider. After less than 24hrs with good old television, one thing I can tell you is that when you are used to On Demand experience, this whole programming concept looks ridicules. I was astonished to see the amount of commercials, and even worse – low level content that broadcasted in prime time.

My parents don’t have any problem with that – they like the fact that in a specific time they get show X with production quality Y. But for me it was extremely annoying to wait till the commercials end, to wait till the best shows are on, and to see a lot content, that in most cases, isn’t relevant to my interests.

It seems to me that in an on demand world, viewers are spoiled. As my nephew says – they want it, and they want it now. Content creators who used to rely on obedient viewers, or piggyback low quality productions on high rating shows, should wake up and smell the coffee.

We are spoiled. We know what we want. We know when we want it. We know how we want to watch it. So please, just make sure we can find it, download it quickly, and watch it as we see fit…